What's New
National Assessment of Rural FQHCs: Roles and Opportunities Related to Rural Hospital Closures
Health centers that serve rural communities face a number of interlocking challenges, including determining how to respond when a local hospital faces financial vulnerability or closure. To better understand the health center experience with rural hospital closures, Capital Link, a HRSA-funded NTTAP, is conducting a national assessment of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in rural communities. They hope to identify and share successful strategies health centers have used to respond to this challenge.
If you are a FQHC serving rural communities, please share your experience by completing this short assessment by Friday, October 16. Capital Link will summarize and share the results. Individual responses will not be disclosed without prior approval.
National Advisory Council on Migrant Health to Meet in October
The National Advisory Council on Migrant Health (NACMH) will hold a four-day virtual meeting Tuesday, October 20, through Friday, October 23. The event is open to the public. Visit the NACMH page on our website to register or see the agenda.
NACMH advises and makes recommendations to the HHS Secretary on policy, program development, and other topics related to migrant health centers and other organizations that serve migratory and seasonal agricultural workers and their families. It will meet to discuss COVID-19’s impact on this population, injury prevention, toxic stress in children of migratory and seasonal agricultural workers, and other topics. HRSA leadership will provide a Health Center Program update.
UDS Mapper Celebrates 10 Years with Modernized Website
The UDS Mapper, a mapping and decision-support tool depicting the geographic extent of health centers, is celebrating 10 years of service with the relaunch of its website! The site has a modernized and streamlined look and feel, and includes enhancements to the UDS Mapper tool, newly updated with 2019 UDS data. Additionally, you can now access U.S. Census population data—such as race/ethnicity, insurance status, poverty, and employment—and map your own data at the census, county, or state level.
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COVID-19
Roundtable Discussion for Health Centers: Ensuring Diverse and Inclusive COVID-19 Clinical Trials through Health Center Engagement in the ACTIV-2 Clinical Trial
NIH funds the ACTIV-2 Study to evaluate medications to improve the symptoms of COVID-19. If you have adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19, consider encouraging them to join this clinical trial.
Learn more about how you can engage patients at an upcoming webinar specifically for health centers. Leadership from Rise Above COVID (directing the ACTIV-2 Study, part of Operation Warp Speed) will lead a roundtable discussion, including a Q&A, for health centers that want to learn more about this study and ways to get involved in the effort to find a cure.:
Thursday, October 15
5:00-6:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Health centers can encourage trial participation by talking with patients and pointing them to reliable information. NIH’s Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities provides resources to support these conversations.
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New Phase of Provider Relief Fund Opens for Applications
Safety net providers are encouraged to apply for the latest round of Provider Relief Fund (PRF) support. Applications will be considered regardless of whether your organization was previously eligible for, applied for, received, accepted, or rejected prior PRF payments. For this newest phase, funding will be allocated to providers based on assessed financial losses and changes in operating expenses caused by COVID-19. Apply here through Friday, November 6. Learn more:
Provider Relief Fund – Phase 3 Informational Webcast
Thursday, October 15
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Two Weeks from Today! Provider Recruitment and Retention Training for Health Centers
Staffing-related shortages are a common barrier identified by health centers—especially in light of the pandemic. Join a session featuring HRSA, HRSA-funded NTTAPs (Community Health Center, Inc., and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved), and a health center. Speakers will discuss recruitment and retention promising practices and provide resources.
Tuesday, October 27
3:00-4:30 p.m. ET
Join the webinar the day of the session
Call-in: 888-323-9689
Passcode: 7945934
COVID-19 Health Center Survey – We Want to Hear from You
Last week, 71% of health centers and 59% of Health Center Program look-alikes submitted data through the weekly COVID-19 survey. Let’s beat that this week!
The survey you received on Friday, October 9, is due by 11:59 p.m. your local time today. Questions on how to complete the survey? Check out our User Guide.
FAQs
We continually update our COVID-19 FAQs webpage. Other resources:
Telehealth for Formerly Homeless and Vulnerable Populations in Supportive Housing Fact Sheets
Social distancing protocols have elevated use of telehealth, which can be challenging for formerly homeless and vulnerable populations in supportive housing. The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), a HRSA-funded NTTAP, created fact sheets to support health centers and supportive housing providers working in partnership to provide health and case management services through telehealth.
Physical Activity & Diabetes Prevention in the COVID-19 Landscape
Individuals experiencing homelessness or unstable housing often do not have access to safe locations for physical activity. COVID-19 exacerbates the challenges—making public facilities, parks, and venues of activity even less accessible. Join CSH to explore approaches to fostering physical activity for improving physical health of individuals unstably housed. Housing providers and health centers who serve this population will benefit from this conversation.
Wednesday, November 11
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Telehealth and Tobacco Cessation During COVID-19
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. Individuals who smoke are at greater risk of a more severe case of COVID-19, should they contract it. The American Lung Association, a CDC Million Hearts® partner, shares the promising practice of using telehealth to encourage tobacco cessation, allowing health professionals to continue to address the ABCs of heart health. Listen to the podcast.
Substance Use Disorder & Mental Health
Management of Alcohol Use Disorder
The HRSA-funded National Clinician Consultation Center presents an interactive webinar for health center clinicians. Unhealthy alcohol use remains a growing public health issue in the U.S., contributing significantly to the global burden of disease and posing challenges to the everyday practice of primary care. In this webinar, speakers will define the spectrum of unhealthy alcohol use and compare therapeutic approaches, focusing on pharmacological treatment options. They will also provide strategies for managing withdrawal, an especially important issue during COVID-19. Participants will be able to more confidently assess and care for patients with unhealthy alcohol use.
Thursday, October 22
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Bridging the Gap: Behavioral Health and Oral Health in Public Housing
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) will join the National Center for Health in Public Housing (both HRSA-funded NTTAPs) to host a webinar to review behavioral health data and resources from a recent survey of residents of public housing. Speakers will highlight how a health center dental program located in public housing integrates behavioral health screenings and referrals into oral health care. 1.0 Continuing Dental Education (CDE) credit will be offered.
Monday, November 9
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register here
Diabetes
National Diabetes Prevention Program: Lessons Learned for PCAs and Health Centers
Last fall, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations and The National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (both HRSA-funded NTTAPs) facilitated a national webinar and four-part learning collaborative for health center and PCA stakeholders. Now they invite you to hear federal updates from HRSA and CDC leaders, as well as lessons learned and diabetes prevention best practices for health center and PCA colleagues.
Wednesday, October 14
1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here
Workforce
Provider Recruitment and Retention Training For Health Centers: Addressing Issues with Staffing, Recruiting, and Retention In the Face of a Pandemic
See the announcement above.
New Disciplines, Same Program: 2021 National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program
HRSA has opened this year’s 2021 National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service (S2S) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) application cycle with new disciplines. Final-year nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife students are now also eligible. These students, along with current medical and dental students in their final year of school, can apply for awards of up to $120,000 in exchange for a three-year commitment to provide primary care services at NHSC-approved sites. Review the 2021 NHSC S2S LRP Application and Program Guidance for more information on how to apply by the deadline: 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 5.
Oral Health
Bridging the Gap: Behavioral Health and Oral Health in Public Housing
See the announcement above.
Telehealth
Rural Practices Telehealth Stipend
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau are providing grants to support telehealth access and infrastructure for the provision of comprehensive care to children and adolescents, including children and youth with special health care needs and other vulnerable pediatric populations, utilizing a medical home approach during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. $5,000 stipends will be provided to community-based practices that serve rural areas (with an emphasis on underserved populations in those areas) and are new to telehealth implementation. The program will support practices with the implementation of telehealth and distance care through participation in a 6-month virtual learning community. Applicants can include practices with non-pediatrician physicians, such as pediatric nurse practitioners and family physicians.
More information is available from AAP. Applications can be completed online or completed proposals can be sent to Robinn Yu by 6:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 22.
Register by Tomorrow: Hybrid Health Center: Building Systems that Sustainably Support both Telehealth and In-Person Care
To support health centers with developing and enhancing a hybrid model of telehealth and in-person care, the Health Information Technology, Evaluation, and Quality (HITEQ) Center is launching a learning collaborative. Participants attend four structured virtual learning sessions with discussion topics including:
- A framework for telehealth services
- Application of the telehealth framework to hybrid care and defining a multi-stage approach to offering in-person care
- Barriers to accessing telehealth or in-person care and strategies to overcome them.
- Determining next steps to enhance hybrid care.
Learn more or register by Wednesday, October 14.
HITEQ Highlights: Telehealth Considerations and Strategies for Special and Vulnerable Populations
This webinar will focus on strategies to reach and serve special and vulnerable populations using telehealth. Special and vulnerable populations include migratory and seasonal agricultural workers, older adults, people experiencing homelessness, people with limited English proficiency, and rural communities with limited access to broadband. We will share how telehealth promotes health equity and increases overall access to quality health care for special and vulnerable populations.
Thursday, October 15
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Register here
This webinar is presented through a partnership of four HRSA-funded NTTAPs: the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders, the National Center for Farmworker Health, CSH, and the HITEQ Center.
Telehealth for Formerly Homeless and Vulnerable Populations in Supportive Housing Fact Sheets
See the announcement above.
Telehealth and Tobacco Cessation During COVID-19
See the announcement above.
National Women’s Blood Pressure
Awareness Week
Every minute in America, a woman dies of a heart attack, stroke, or another form of cardiovascular disease. Yet many of these deaths are preventable. This week we emphasize the importance of blood pressure control as a women’s health priority. Encourage your female patients to regularly take, track, and share (with their health care team) their blood pressure numbers. For more information and sample messages to share with your patients and partners, visit HHS’ Office on Women’s Health.
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Additional Resources
Health and Housing Focus Groups
Join a focus group and help design user-friendly and accessible tools for CSH’s Health and Housing Partnership Guide. CSH focuses on building strong health center partnerships with housing and community resources. Its Training Center team is holding focus groups to help update their Health and Housing Partnership Guide. They want to gather feedback and input from health centers and PCAs to help determine how we can promote understanding of the content for easy and effective learning on health and housing partnerships. The focus groups will take place in November. The Technical Assistance & Training sidebar in this Digest includes details and registration links.
Motivating Healthy Habits in Older Adults Learning Collaborative
Healthy lifestyle habits related to diet and exercise play an important role in preventing and managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, but older adults may face unique barriers to adopting or modifying these habits. The National Center for Equitable Care for Elders presents a learning collaborative focusing on the importance of identifying age-appropriate motivations for behavior change and setting realistic goals. Apply by Tuesday, November 10.
Supporting Implementation of Smoking Cessation Programs in Health Center Settings
The National Center for Health in Public Housing, a HRSA-funded NTTAP, invites health center staff to join a learning collaborative that will help you successfully implement a smoking cessation program. Participants will identify barriers to implementation—and strategies to overcome them—through:
- A didactic webinar, covering the behavioral aspects of cessation counseling, the FDA-approved medications for cessation, and some basic motivational interviewing techniques.
- A subsequent three sessions that will detail how to conduct each counseling session (whether individual or group).
Participants will receive a written protocol booklet for guiding actual sessions. Learn more or register now.
Registration Deadline Extended: 2020 Finance, Operations Management, and Information Technology Virtual Conference
NACHC presents an all-virtual learning and networking experience for health center CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CIOs, other financial and operational staff, and industry experts. The conference program highlights include 21 dynamic educational sessions, cutting-edge keynote and state-of-the industry addresses, interactive collaboration with peers, and more. Participants will learn how to build resilient organizations, develop innovative solutions, and successfully transform and respond to COVID-19. Learn more or register now. Online registration extended to Friday, October 16.
2020 CHAMPS/Northwest Regional PCA Fall Primary Care Conference
The 2020 CHAMPS/Northwest Regional PCA Fall Primary Care Conference will be held online on October 19-22. Speakers will provide education and training, information and resource sharing, coalition building, and program and policy development for like-minded community health professionals and their partners. Learn more or register now.
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